RHA system a drain on PoS hospital

Dr Dickson Marchack, head of the Department of Medicine, told the Commission of Inquiry into the Operation and Delivery of Health Services that his area continually experienced an "acute workload" with 50 admissions everyday. "In trying to deal with this, the occupancy rate is 110 percent. It is always over full."

Marchack referred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (which is now under the purview of the North Central RHA) which had 19 medical beds available, while PoSGH (which is under the North West RHA) had more than 50 patients daily.

He said PoSGH was a unique facility because it was regarded as the "last stop" for other institutions. Marchack said other medical facilities could "lay down principles" and not receive patients because there were no available beds, or because the patient was unable to pay, but PoSGH had to accept everyone. The inception of the RHA system, he said, had not changed this practice.

Marchack said attempts to get the relationship between PoSGH and other health institutions clarified have not worked. Illustrating how other RHAs benefited from the resources available at PoSGH, he said when a patient from Tobago is sent for a CT Scan, "they are not just housed. We have to arrange their scan and pay for people," Marchack said.

He also criticised the negative publicity which the hospital has been getting. "In the media and PR war, the PoSGH is always held up as an example of how you do not manage a hospital. It affects the morale of workers."

The commission yesterday heard complaints from people in various departments about overcrowding, staff shortages, inadequate equipment and insufficient funding.

Staff also spoke of working in acting posts for several years without being confirmed or having their pay increased.

Nursing administrator Yvonne Bullen-Smith said overcrowding took place despite the fact that more than 500 beds were available.

She said patients came from SFGH, EWMSC, Sangre Grande Hospital, Tobago and health centres, and PoSGH could not refuse them. Bullen-Smith said this was why patients had to be accommodated on stretchers and chairs. ICU patients from SFGH are sent to PoS.

Medical Chief of Staff, Dr Winston Welch, said various factors affect bed occupancy.

He said some wards were for men or women only, while the orthopaedic and ICU only accepted patients in these specific areas in order to prevent infections.